The Saddle Club ~ The Great Event
by tranquil light
Summary: Carole, Stevie, and Lisa are all horse riders at Pine Hollow. Each year they have an event, and this one could really change their lives! *CHAPTER 5 STARTED!* (finally updated...) Please read and review! Full of laughs, drama, and adventure!
1. Chapter 1 ~ The Invitation

# 1 * The Invitation  
  
"All right girls!" Max cried. Max is our instructor, and the nicest one yet. "Settle down!"  
  
It was just before dinner and Max has an announcement to make. Lisa, Stevie, and I were sitting at the table, awaiting what he had to say.  
  
"Okay, as you know, Pine Hollow has a great event of some sort each year. This year, it won't be at Pine Hollow as usual," Max said.  
  
Everyone groaned. Usually if it couldn't be at Pine Hollow it'd be in some really weird place that no one liked. I don't know why they couldn't just stick to Pine Hollow.  
  
"Great – this is gonna be some event," Stevie said sarcastically as she put her blonde hair behind her ears.  
  
"Okay, settle down! Stop groaning!" Max warned. "Instead, it'll be at Windy Willows!"  
  
I gasped. Windy Willows – the most expensive horse club ever! And our great event was going to be held in it!  
  
"This is going to be the best!" Lisa said, straightening out her designer Gucci jacket.  
  
"I can't wait!" I exclaimed. "Max, when will it be taking place?"  
  
"Well, Carole, we will have practices for all the girls and have the top 3 battle against the top 3 in the other 5 saddle clubs. We will have 10 competitions, and the maximum of events you can go to is 4 at the most. So choose carefully if you get chosen for all 10 for you can only be in 4," Max explained. "Okay, so here's your dinner – chop-chop, eat it up!"  
  
We all said grace and began digging into mashed potatoes with gravy, pork chops, slices of cucumbers, a glass of orange juice, and for dessert, pudding with a glass of milk.  
  
"This is going to be the greatest Great Event!" Stevie cried after eating a mouthful of mashed potatoes.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be all you losers faster than you can say "Hurrah!"!" Veronica DiAngelo remarked.  
  
"What makes you so sure that you'll be in it?!" I said.  
  
"Because, I'm the best with the best horse," Veronica said. It was true. Veronica had an expensive horse named Cobalt, who was black, big, and great at jumping. But there was a slight problem.  
  
"What about all the falls you've been in with him. I don't know if you'll be able to last this one!" Stevie said.  
  
"Well, I will beat all of you, you'll see. I'll get accepted into all 10, choose the best 4, and beat you all. I bet you'll only get into 1 event – the one for losers!" Veronica laughed.  
  
"Then I'm sure you'll be in it!" Lisa said as Veronica walked away. "I sure hate her. She always thinks she's the best because she's got much more money than us! Money can't buy you a trophy, unless it's one from the store. It can't buy you happiness, or anything for that matter. All it gives you is the attitude of being snobby, mean, and selfish."  
  
"Don't forget being uncooperative," Stevie reminded her as she took a gulp of her orange juice.  
  
Down the large table you could hear Veronica wail, "But I don't like pulp! It's disgusting!"  
  
We all laughed. "Don't forget being whiny and complaining all the time!" I laughed.  
  
"I wonder when we'll be able to start practice," said Lisa.  
  
"That will start tomorrow, and I've asked all your parents if you could stay over here rather than going home for the weekends. Is that all right with you girls?" Max asked.  
  
"Sure! I want to get all the practice I can get, and I know we can't bring our horses home," Stevie agreed.  
  
"Me too!" I said. "I'll just call my dad and tell him how I'm doing. Anyways, I have to stay over here most of the time…I think my aunt won't be able to baby-sit me this weekend, anyway." My mom died of Cancer, and my dad is a Colonel, so I only get to see him twice a month. That's on the first weekend of the month. I'm glad this was the 2nd weekend. So that means I saw him last week, and it was great. We ended up to a carnival and then to the movie theatres to see Josie and the Pussycats. I loved it.  
  
"Count me in too, then!" Lisa laughed.  
  
"Great, think of this as an invitation to a party – but with horses galore!" Max said, giving all of us a pat on the head.  
  
"An invitation to the greatest event alive!" Stevie laughed, eating some of her pudding.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
  
That night, we all snuggled into our bunk beds, telling each other of which competitions we would like to enter.  
  
"I hope that Belle will be the star of the show!" Stevie laughed as she drank some water that stood next to her on her table.  
  
"Don't bet on it!" Lisa laughed. "Prancer will surely be the show jumper and I'll finally be able to get that blue ribbon I've always wanted!"  
  
"I hope you do," I told her, "But I also hope that I get a medal!!!! It'll be great for me and Starlight. She will get to be a star and be in lights!"  
  
"You mean, living up to her name!" Stevie said.  
  
Together, we laughed all night until 2 am, until we decided to go to sleep – Veronica was snoring.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
At morning, we were all very tired, since we had to wake up at 7 am and we only slept 6 hours. Not even enough for a busy rider like myself. We had cereal for breakfast with a cup of hot cocoa, and Stevie fell asleep, her face full of Cheerio's when Lisa woke her up. She ran to the bathroom, while Lisa and I had a enormous laugh.  
  
"What are you two losers laughing about? Or are you just laughing because you know you're going to make a fool of yourselves at the Great Event?" Veronica said, walking in with her friends behind her.  
  
"We're not going to make fools of ourselves!" I replied, defending myself and Lisa.  
  
"And why do you keep exaggerating and calling us losers? You're really talking about yourself!" Lisa told her.  
  
Veronica huffed, puffed, and walked away.  
  
"Well, that one was easy," Lisa laughed again as Stevie made her way back to the table.  
  
"Do I look good enough to look awake?" asked Stevie, rubbing her eyes as she ate some of her cereal.  
  
"Yeah, kinda, if you consider those wrinkles under your eyes to be exaggerated laugh lines!" Lisa giggled.  
  
"Oh, shut up!" Stevie said, as we all finished breakfast.  
  
************************************************************  
  
All right, how'd you like it? This is my first shot at "The Saddle Club" fanfic. For those of you who don't know, it's a book and a tv show. Max is Australian, and he has an accent. Anyways, if you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me at dazzlin_nicky@hotmail.com or review me and ask me a question in it. This'll probably be the only "Saddle Club" fanfic 'cause I'm more interested in Harry Potter ones and Britney Spears ones and other. Thanks to G*ness who inspired me (maybe not with this story, but I am still inspired) to become a great writer like she is!  
  
The second chapter just basically explains everything, so you're not confused, so be sure to read that first, all right? 


	2. Chapter 2 ~ The Introduction

# 2 * Introduction  
  
Okay, since I told you pretty much all about me, there's nothing really much to say except that my horse is Starlight, my dead mother's money was sent to me to buy it. Um, my dad is US Colonel Mitch Hanson, and I'm Carole Hanson. Now, since you know pretty much all about me, here's some info on my friends, and um, enemies!  
  
Stevie Lake is my very best friend. She abandoned her given name of Stephanie almost before she could talk and was always a bit of a tomboy. Now, tired of being considered one of the boys, but uncomfortable with the preening of other girls her age, Stevie clings to the one thing that remains constant: her love of horses. When not dressed for the riding ring, Stevie has a funky, urban style of her own. She loves vintage clothing stores and often makes a bold, if sometimes outrageous, fashion statement.  
  
Her younger brother Michael, 9, is the ultimate pest and seizes any opportunity to aggravate and annoy his sister. Stevie's older brother, Chad, 14, does nothing to dissuade Michael from irritating Stevie. He is the one who started the family tradition of practical jokes. Even though Alex, 12, plays his share of jokes on Stevie, he is fiercely protective of his twin sister. Even though he likes to remind her he is older by six and a half minutes.  
  
Stevie is impulsive, irrepressible and stubborn and once she devises a scheme there is no chance of talking her out of it. Her 'act now, think later' approach to life gets her into trouble but, when she enters the show ring, she becomes another person.  
  
Stevie's parents, George and Catherine, are both lawyers with hectic schedules. They both worked hard for everything they achieved and are determined to instill a solid work ethic in their children. They have agreed to pay for one riding lesson a week, but Stevie must work at the barn in exchange for additional lessons.  
  
Stevie is very comfortable around boys. That is until she meets Phil Marsten, who develops a huge crush on her. She doesn't respond because she is too busy trying to outride, outsmart and outdo Phil at everything he does.  
  
Meanwhile, my other very best friend, Lisa Atwood is an honour-roll student. Petite with classic good looks, Lisa dresses in designer clothes and would never wear anything as outrageous as Stevie, but she does admire her individuality. Lisa struggles to overcome the 'good girl' image and is eager to take on new challenges to prove her strength and stamina.  
  
Lisa starts out riding Patch, the perfectly trained 'push-button' school pony at Pine Hollow. Eventually she graduates to riding Prancer, the chestnut thoroughbred mare. Lisa is determined to make a show jumper out of the ex-racehorse, but the blue ribbon remains elusive.  
  
Completely loyal to her friends, Lisa has a wandering eye when it comes to boys. A natural flirt, she has a series of little crushes on a variety of guys but she doesn't often act on them. Like every other female at Pine Hollow, she can't tear her eyes away from the lead stable hand, Red O'Malley. She also likes Skye Ransom, the gorgeous teen star who films a movie at Pine Hollow.  
  
Lisa's mother, Eleanor, is a determined social climber and she sees the horse world as a way of her daughter being accepted into the 'right' circles. As well as the riding lessons, Lisa takes ballet, piano, art and tennis classes and she is envious of girls who can go home after school and just veg out. Lisa's younger sister, Melanie, who excels at everything she does, has now been enrolled at Pine Hollow. Melanie worships her older sister but, unfortunately for Lisa, this means she will always be underfoot.   
  
As you may probably know, Veronica is a millionaire's spoiled daughter. She enjoys being admired on her expensive thoroughbred stallion Cobalt but has no love for the horse and certainly no interest in caring for him. That's what stable hands are for.  
  
She attends the same school as the Saddle Club and resents it. She was quite content at her elite girls school in the city but when her parents bought the estate in Pine Hollow, they decided to enroll her at the local school.  
  
Because Phil Marsten's family owns a large parcel of land and breed Arabian horses, Veronica takes an immediate interest in him. But he only has eyes for Stevie. Veronica intends to do anything to keep that romance from blossoming.  
  
Like his grandfather and father before him, Max Regnery runs Pine Hollow Stables as he would a family. He's the best instructor in the world! He cares about his students and celebrates their victories and mourns their defeats.  
  
A brilliant rider and former member of the National Equestrian Team he knows good horsemanship goes beyond the skills of riding a horse. Everyone should pitch in and help with the horses and he has no patience for laziness (mainly Veronica!).  
  
An attractive single man, he is in no hurry to settle down, until he meets Deborah Hale, a journalist with a city paper who comes to Pine Hollow Stables to write a story about a movie being filmed at the stable.  
  
There are also other people at Pine Hollow. There's Max's mother, Mrs. Reg, a good vet, Red O' Malley, a 17-year old who helps around, Phil Marsten, who likes Stevie, and Veronica's friend, who's insightful, yet very flirty, and is Kristi.  
  
That's probably all you need to know for now. Later! 


	3. Chapter 3 ~ Practice Makes Perfect

# 3 * Practice Makes Perfect!  
  
Along the days, we all practiced our jumps, runs, and trots with our horses. I tried to make Starlight the star this time, and I hoped I would get in a good enough event – if I got in any at all!  
  
"I don't need any practice with Cobalt – he's a natural winner!" Veronica explained to Max, who refused to let her quit practice.  
  
"Remember – practice makes perfect!" Max reminded her as he walked away.  
  
"But Cobalt is perfect!" complained Veronica.  
  
"But the owner isn't," Mrs. Reg said as she raked the grass. She walked away with a smile while Veronica screamed.  
  
"When will Veronica learn," Stevie said, "That the truth almost always hurts?"  
  
"I guess never!" Lisa said as she got off Prancer. "She's a spoiled little brat and I don't know why Kristi hangs around her at all!"  
  
"I don't either," Kristi replied, who was standing right behind her all along. "I guess I'm a follower or something…" Kristi walked away, sulking.  
  
"Kristi, I didn't mean it that way…" Lisa began, but Stevie pulled her away.  
  
"It's all right – all she cares about is Veronica anyway," she explained.  
  
"But, I just meant that Veronica doesn't deserve a great friend like Kristi. And I'm sure everyone would appreciate Kristi more if she didn't hang around her – then Veronica would have nobody but herself, her money, and her horse." Lisa told them.  
  
"I'm sure you meant well," I said. "But there's really nothing you can do now. Kristi's probably talking to Veronica, and if you tried to interrupt and tell Kristi what you really meant, Veronica would just scream and yell her head off like she always does."  
  
"You're probably right," Lisa agreed. "C'mon – let's bring our horses back to the stable!"  
  
"Roger that!" Stevie said, patting Belle on her head.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Later that evening, Max us go to their houses for a sleepover to see our parents and come back in the morning since he could tell we were really homesick. I called my dad on the phone earlier and I think he was crying or maybe he was just pretending. Anyways, I was feeling really lonely too – I hadn't seen my dad in 4 days!  
  
When I arrived home, I was so glad to see my dad. We laughed screamed and hollered and watched a ton of movies – The Lost World of Jurassic Park, You've Got Mail, and Cinderella were among them. Soon, it was 2:30 am in the morning.  
  
"Off to bed, you!" my dad told me.  
  
"But, dad, we still have to watch Anastasia!" I distracted, since I still wanted to stay up and call the girls.  
  
"That can wait until the morning – we'll have bacon and eggs for breakfast while watching the movie, and then I'll drive you up to Pine Hollow. Besides – you have to get your sleep!" Mr. Hanson reminded me.  
  
"Yes, Colonel, sir!" I laughed, as my dad saluted me off.  
  
"That's my girl!" he said, practically pushing me up the stairs.  
  
That morning, I called Stevie and Lisa 3-way first thing at 8:10 am, telling them of my exciting night with my father.  
  
"We watched so many movies, my mind went bonkers!" I explained.  
  
"We were watching family movies – boring!" Stevie yawned. "We stayed up until 3 am, and I woke up at 8:00! I'm definitely going to fall asleep for an extra half hour on the drive there!"  
  
"I got to go to a carnival nearby for my extra work with Prancer, and it was a lot of fun!" Lisa told us. "I go to on the Ferris wheel and got stuck at the top! I was so frightened!"  
  
Everyone knows that Lisa is so scared of heights, she hates doing her jumps!  
  
"So I'll see you at 9:30?" we all said at the same time. We all giggled, snorted, and said again at the same time, "Yeah, see you then! Bye!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After breakfast and the ride there, we all did our events. Max and Mrs. Reg were timing and scoring how well we did to determine who was going to do what.  
  
I decided to try out for racing, jumping, run-jump (a complicated but fun competition), trotting, and strategies (where you run a mini race, but you have to find out how to get out of complicated situations, such as sinking sand, and others). Stevie and Lisa also tried out for the same ones. Veronica tried out for all of them!  
  
At lunchtime, before grace, Max settled us all down to announce who was going to each event.  
  
"Lisa Atwood – jumping, strategies, and racing!" Max announced.  
  
"Yes!" Lisa cried. "I get to show the world how great Prancer jumps!"  
  
"Veronica DiAngelo – jumping, racing, run-jump, and strategies!" Max continued.  
  
"Who-hoo!" Veronica hollered.  
  
"Sam Dumont – jumping and trotting!"  
  
"Kristi Green – racing and run-jump!"  
  
"Carole Hanson – racing, jumping, run-jump and strategies!" Max said.  
  
"Whoa! The same events as Veronica!" Stevie told me.  
  
"Yikes!" I said. Veronica eyed me, a way as if saying, "You're going to eat my dust"  
  
"James Krillen – trotting and criss-cross!" Max told everyone.  
  
"Stevie Lake – trotting, strategies, and jumping!"  
  
"GREAT!" Stevie screamed.  
  
"Keep it down, please," Max warned her.  
  
"Sorry," Stevie apologized.  
  
"Phil Marsten – criss-cross, jumping, and hill jumping!"  
  
The list went on and on – 134 out of all 150 students had made it into at least 1 activity in the event – the most entering into racing and jumping. We all ate lunch, worried about how hard the competition would be with Veronica and Cobalt there around every corner that I crossed, every thing that I jumped, and everything!!!!  
  
Stevie could see right through me. "Carole, don't be upset – I know you'll beat Veronica in everything – if Lisa and me don't get to her first!"  
  
That really cheered me up. "Thanks!"  
  
"No problemo," Stevie said.  
  
"We'll always be here," Lisa told me, "To give great advice, be a great friend, be truthful, loyal, honest, and to showing enemies that the good guys really finish FIRST!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Later in the afternoon, we listened to CD's and told each other some strategies that we could use when doing our jumps and races. We decided to make a pact.  
  
"Here's a pact," I announced.  
  
"To be friends forever," Lisa continued.  
  
"No matter what competitions we lose to each other or win to each other!" Stevie concluded as we all toasted some soda drinks together.  
  
Soon, it was 4:30 pm and we were practicing again for an hour before dinner at Pine Hollow.  
  
"I gotta practice my jumps – it'll make me and Prancer the winners!" Lisa told us, telling Prancer what signal she would use when he had to jump.  
  
She trotted around the ring, me and Stevie watching on Starlight and Belle, and watched as she patted Prancer on the side and he did a humungous jump!  
  
"You've trained him really hard!" I complimented as she rode over to us.  
  
"You're definitely going to win!" Stevie continued.  
  
Lisa blushed. "Guys!"  
  
"But they're right, you know," Max told her. "That's exactly why I picked you. Prancer might be an ex-racer, but his specialty was jumping – his owner didn't want him in jumping, though. I knew you'd be an excellent trainer and owner – and best of all, his friend."  
  
"True, true," Red 'O Malley said, carrying stacks of hay. "You've definitely got what it takes!"  
  
"Stop it, everyone!" Lisa protested, but everyone knew that she was enjoying it. Veronica stood at the side, steaming with envy and jealousy.  
  
"I should be the one standing there," Veronica told Kristi, who was standing right beside her.  
  
"Yeah, but you decided not to practice – practice makes perfect, but you decided that Cobalt is perfect. It's your fault," Kristi answered, walking away.  
  
"Huh?" Veronica asked, not even paying attention. "It's not my fault!!!"  
  
"Of course it is, Veronica," Max told her before yelling out, "Dinnertime!" and started clinging the dinner bell.  
  
  
  
At dinner, we all had a serving of chicken, French fries with gravy, and a glass of fruit juice. We were all filled, and hoped that our horses were getting their fill, too. After dinner, we decided to check up on them before calling our parents.  
  
When we got there, it turned out they were getting their fill – eating straw, meat, hay, and other kinds of food like oats.  
  
"What are you girls doing here?" Mrs. Reg asked.  
  
"We just wanted to see if Belle, Prancer, and Starlight were getting their fill," Stevie explained.  
  
"They always do – 3 times a day!" Mrs. Reg told us.  
  
"Cool – just one less then us!" I said.  
  
"Yep – and they sleep 7 hours a day, having two naps and one big sleep – one nap before you girls arrive after breakfast and one after they eat their dinner," Mrs. Reg explained.  
  
"Good, now were assured that they're in good hands," Lisa smiled.  
  
"Didn't you already know this?" Mrs. Reg asked.  
  
All of us looked strangely at each other. "I guess not," we all said.  
  
"Well, now you know. Now chop-chop – I know this is your call to your parents!" Mrs. Reg said.  
  
We all went to the phones in the office to call our parents, since we were going to be away for 5 more days – 1 more day of practice (today), 1 day to arrive there (Windy Willow was far away), 2 days for the events (2 each day, depending on how many you had), and 1 day to get back. We'd be able to call our parents every day except tomorrow (Sunday – it would take us a long time to get to Windy Willows, and by the time we got there, we'd all be sleepy), and Thursday (the day we ride back home – same reason).  
  
I dialled 392-4598 (home number) and after two rings my dad picked up, with Doesn't Really Matter by Janet Jackson playing. I put it on speakerphone, like the other girls would, since we promised.  
  
"Dad, hi! I never knew you liked Janet Jackson!" I told him.  
  
"I have all her albums, I've showed you my how collection – how clueless are you?" my dad laughed.  
  
"I guess too clueless to know that you love Janet – nutty, nutty, nutty, my love for you…" I sang along.  
  
"Anyways, you getting ready for Windy Willows? How many events did you get in – 1, 2, 3?"  
  
"Dad – I got into 4!"  
  
"4 – are you sure? Am I really speaking with Carole Hanson?"  
  
"Yes – I am! You think I suck that bad at horses?" I frowned.  
  
"No, of course not! I was joking around, since I'm your loving, humoristic dad!"  
  
"Good. Well, I love you, and…"  
  
"No good-byes yet. Which events did you get into?"  
  
"I got into racing, jumping, run-jump and strategies," I told him.  
  
"Wow! Your mom would be so impressed – but not as impressed as I am! Good luck, sweetie!"  
  
"Thanks dad! You be careful, too – I don't want you getting killed in a battle or anything!"  
  
"You're joking right? Right? Right?" my dad asked, sounding very worried.  
  
"I love you dad! I'll call you first thing on Monday!"  
  
"What about school?" my dad asked stupidly.  
  
"It's summer vacation!" I laughed. "Later dad!"  
  
"Love you! Be careful! Bye!"  
  
Next it was Lisa's turn. She dialled her number 383-4210 (home number) but no one picked up. "Must be at work!" she decided.  
  
She then called her mom's work 1-800-CLIMB (work number) and all of a sudden, Lisa was reminded by her mom's voice.  
  
"Hello, Climbing Club, how may I help you?" Mrs. Atwood said on the speakerphone.  
  
"Hello, mum?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Ah! Sweetie, I had no idea you'd be calling!" she said her in her thick accent.  
  
"Well, I'm not going to be able to call you tomorrow since it'll take all day to get to Windy Willows," Lisa explained.  
  
"Ah, I see, well good luck! What events are you going to be in?"  
  
"Jumping, strategies, and racing!"  
  
"That's excellent Lisa! Try to win a ribbon for me!"  
  
"I'll do my best, mummy!"  
  
"I love you, honey. Call me first thing when you get there – well in the morning. I've got to go now, but I absolutely love you and good luck!"  
  
"I love you too, mum. Thanks a lot, bye!"  
  
Next, and finally, it was Stevie's turn. She called her parents at their Law Clinic, dialling 1-800-CASE-UP, which Stevie thought was a pretty funny number. The number rang once before her dad picked up.  
  
"Hello, Lake Case-up, how may I help you?" Mr. Lake asked.  
  
"Hey, dad? It's me, Stevie." Stevie said.  
  
"Ohmigod! Let me put you on speakerphone!" Mr. Lake told her.  
  
"My babe, how are you?" Mrs. Lake came into the conversation.  
  
"I'm great, Lisa and Carole are hear too, and we're about go to Windy Willows," Stevie explained.  
  
"Oh, Stephanie, what events are you in?" Mrs. Lake asked.  
  
"Mom, for the millionth time, please don't call me Stephanie!" Stevie said.  
  
Behind her she could her Lisa and me laughing out loud.  
  
"All right, Stephanie," her dad joked.  
  
"Now I see where she gets all her jokes from," Lisa said quietly.  
  
"I'm in trotting, strategies, and jumping," Stevie told her parents with a smile.  
  
"That's great! Are your friends in a lot of events, too?" Mrs. Lake asked.  
  
"Yes," Lisa and I both replied.  
  
"That's really good! Good luck girls and call us soon!" her parents both said.  
  
"Yep, I'll call you the day after tomorrow," Stevie replied. "Love you, bye!"  
  
Stevie hung up the phone with a sigh.  
  
"That's my parents for ya," she said disappointingly.  
  
"Why are you upset?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Yeah, it doesn't matter if you're embarrassed by them – I always get embarrassed by my dad," I explained. "And they only called you Stephanie, and you knew they were joking."  
  
"I guess. C'mon, lets check on our horses!" Stevie said.  
  
After we groomed our horses, we all decided to go outside for some fresh air and to go onto the 4 swing set that Max built recently. We were all talking about how nervous we were to be in these events, and that we wished each other luck. All of a sudden we heard something in the background. Max, and another girl. With a thick accent.  
  
"Let's go check it out!" Stevie decided. 


	4. Chapter 4 ~ The Mysterious Girl

# 4 * Mysterious Girl  
  
We jumped off our swings and made our way to the front, where a girl, about our height, was standing, smiling politely. She had a Volkswagen Beetle that was blue behind her, her dad sitting there.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll have something for her excellence, and she'll be put into some events in Windy Willows – we just need to see her on a horse," Max explained.  
  
"Be good!" her dad said. "I love you."  
  
She gave her dad a kiss, waved, and he drove off. Then, Max spotted us and invited us over. We walked slowly over to her. What if she was mean? I'm sure that was going through all our heads.  
  
"Hello, girls. This is Carole Hanson, an excellent rider, Stevie Lake, who's a great joker and rider, and Lisa Atwood, a very good student in school and at horse lessons. Girls, this is Aimee Reznor." Max introduced.  
  
Aimee had dark brown hair that was straight and was short up to her shoulders, and she looked like a very intelligent girl who loved horses and had a great sense of humour.  
  
All of us dropped our jaws. She seemed like all of us combined, and she seemed really friendly the way she began to talk.  
  
"Hey girls, as you know my name is Aimee," she explained in her British accent. "Um, my birthday's August 31st, and that's not too far away. Do you guys have your own horses?"  
  
"Yep," we all said.  
  
"I have a horse named Starlight," I said.  
  
"I have a horse named Belle," Stevie continued.  
  
"And I ride a horse named Prancer, and I kinda own it, but I'm not too sure!" Lisa said.  
  
"Cool!" Aimee said, putting her thin hair behind her ears. "My dad might get me a horse, or else I'll get one from here."  
  
"How come your mom didn't come?" Stevie asked.  
  
"My mom…died when I was 3 years old. I barely remember anything about her, but I know she loved horses and singing/writing songs. She wrote songs about nature, horses, and love." Aimee said.  
  
I dropped my jaw again. My mom died too! She was like us a lot! But it's just a coincidence, isn't it?  
  
"My mom died too, around 4 or 5 years ago," I explained.  
  
"Strange," Aimee said simply.  
  
"So do you girls wanna see Aimee ride a horse before we have a evening snack?" Max asked.  
  
"SURE!" we all said loudly.  
  
"Thanks!" Aimee said appreciatively.  
  
"Lisa, is it all right if Aimee rides Prancer for now and will get her a horse later? It's just that Prancer has already finished the snack given," Max asked.  
  
"Sure – just don't hurt it," Lisa advised.  
  
"Don't worry – I won't!" Aimee guaranteed.  
  
They guided Prancer into the ring and Aimee hopped on after tacking it up.  
  
"Oh, one thing you've got to be careful of here at Pine Hollow," I told her.  
  
"What's that? Poison Ivy?" Aimee asked.  
  
"No – something worse than that. Much worse!" Lisa continued.  
  
"Well then tell me already!" Aimee said impatiently.  
  
"Okay, be careful of…" I said.  
  
"Drum-roll…" Stevie laughed.  
  
"VERONICA DIANGELO!" we all said.  
  
"Hey, girls!" Max said. "I know she may be a bit annoying and frustrating, but that's no excuse to do that."  
  
"Okay, Max," we said.  
  
Aimee got on top of Prancer and decided to do a jump.  
  
"Are you sure, Aimee?" Lisa asked. "She might not be used to you."  
  
"I'll try, anyhow," Aimee said confidently.  
  
"All right, but be careful." Lisa sounded worried to me.  
  
Prancer walked slowly about a hundred feet away from THE WALL. The wall was a wall (d'uh) that riders had to jump over, although it was very tall. Aimee looked at the wall as if it was nothing. Then, slowly, she pulled Prancer to run up to the wall. Prancer seemed a bit nervous but as soon as they came close to the wall, she did a huge jump over.  
  
"OHMIGOD!" Lisa cried. "How did you learn that?"  
  
"It took a while," Aimee said, who sure didn't seem to like to brag. "But I'm sure you'll get it soon. You've just gotta be confident and make sure your horse is too. Prancer is a very good horse."  
  
"Thanks!" Lisa blushed. She had never been given a compliment before.  
  
"You must've trained her very hard," Aimee continued.  
  
"Well, not really – I just ride her any time I can." Lisa blushed harder.  
  
"Then you must ride her a lot! I'm sure you're a good rider, as the rest of you as well," Aimee ended.  
  
"Thanks," Stevie and I said.  
  
"Um, what else would you like to see me do, Max?" Aimee said.  
  
Max told her to canter, then do a trot, and then race over two fences.  
  
While Aimee got back onto the horse, The Saddle Club (us) began to converse.  
  
"She's a great girl!" Lisa said. "She'd be great in The Saddle Club and she's a great rider who seems horse-crazy enough."  
  
"Yeah, and she's kinda like us. Carole – you're mom died, so did hers. She loves joking around, so do I. She has an accent like you, Lisa and is a good student. I'd say she'd be a great girl in The Saddle Club – she'd always know the problems," Stevie continued.  
  
"That's true!" I exclaimed.  
  
Aimee did a canter and then jumped over a low fence and then a high fence, with Prancer seeming very happy.  
  
"Is she going to steal my horse away?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Of course not," Max interrupted. "She's just using it right now, as you'd say, borrowing, and she'll get her own horse soon. You don't have to worry about anything, Lisa. You've already treated her kindly, and I'm sure she won't do anything to hurt you."  
  
All of a sudden, Veronica came out on Cobalt to practice.  
  
"Who's this loser that's riding Prancer?" Veronica sneered.  
  
"VERONICA!" Max scolded. "How dare you make fun of a new student? That's it – your going to be grounded to go to Windy Willows if this continues."  
  
"Wha-?" Veronica said. "Huh? No, um, sorry, Max." Veronica began chewing on a banana from her purse.  
  
We all laughed amongst ourselves. Aimee rode up to Veronica.  
  
"By the way," Aimee said, "My name is Loser Reznor, if that is what you'd like to say. My real name is Aimee Carling Reznor. Pleased to meet you – and I'm sure that you're name is Veronica DiAngelo."  
  
"How did you know?" Veronica asked curiously, throwing the banana peel on the side.  
  
"Let's just say that I've had some resources," Aimee smiled.  
  
"Hmmph!" Veronica said, and trotted away on Cobalt.  
  
We all laughed again. After our laughter, Max told Aimee, "All right, you'll be in jumping, racing, strategies, and run-jump. I'm sure you'll do good!"  
  
"Thanks, Max!" Aimee said. She turned on Prancer. "Are you guys in events too?"  
  
"Yep," I answered for us.  
  
"Cool!" Aimee replied. "Could I see you riding your horses?" She got of Prancer and gave the rein to Lisa. "Can't ride without him!"  
  
"Of course. I'll go first," Lisa said confidently.  
  
Lisa cantered with Prancer and then stopped in front of a large fence that not too many people have jumped over. She wanted to gulp, but she wanted to be confident to show Prancer that she could be confident, too. Prancer looked strong and nodded her head when Lisa knocked her side with her shoes. They ran quickly and jumped over, coming to a near fall near the end.  
  
"That's good," Aimee said.  
  
"Next time, pull on her reins to slow her down," Max instructed.  
  
"Okay, Max," Lisa agreed.  
  
Stevie was next. She rode Belle to about 50 metres away from the same fence that Lisa tried to attempt, and she did make it over make didn't land great. Stevie would try to do better than that. She did a quickly paced trot, but when it came to jumping over, Belle came to a stop when Stevie gulped.  
  
"You gotta be confident," Aimee said.  
  
"Try it again!" Max told her.  
  
"Right," said Stevie.  
  
She rode 60 metres away this time, and did a quicker canter, and when it came to jump Belle jumped over, Stevie almost fell off halfway.  
  
"Careful!" Max said.  
  
Stevie landed it, but landed on an angle, and almost fell off.  
  
"So much for trying to be a bit better than last time," Stevie sighed.  
  
"It's all right," Aimee comforted her. "I know you'll do better next time. Just practice."  
  
"Thanks Aimee!" thanked Stevie.  
  
Next it was my turn. "She's really good," Stevie warned Aimee. "She's been riding horses since she's been 4, and has been relying on them since her mom died."  
  
"Okay – then we should expect a good jump, eh?" Aimee replied.  
  
"Yeah, we should," Stevie said, rubbing her elbow.  
  
I got on Starlight and rode about only 40 metres away from the big wall. I then started to gallop on Starlight. I looked from the horse to the wall, the horse to the wall, over and over. When it came to jumping, I yelled "Now!" and Starlight jumped swiftly over the wall landing nicely on the ground.  
  
"Carole, that was excellent!" Max applauded.  
  
"That was superb!" Stevie smiled.  
  
"Awesome!" Lisa complimented.  
  
"Bravo!" Aimee cried.  
  
"So she can jump a wall, so what?" said a voice.  
  
"Don't look now, it's…." Stevie smiled.  
  
Max gave her a warning look.  
  
Veronica trotted onto the field yet again with Cobalt. "I bet all of you that I can jump over the wall," Veronica boasted.  
  
"Veronica, don't brag," Max told her.  
  
"Or lie," Stevie whispered.  
  
Lisa and Aimee went into a burst of giggles. I got off of Starlight and pulled the reins to walk over to Veronica. "Then do it," I said.  
  
"What?" Veronica asked.  
  
"Jump over that wall. If you're bragging, boasting, or anything like that, then I think you should prove it, shouldn't you?" I asked her.  
  
Veronica gulped. "Fine then. I'll prove it to all of you…" Max stared at her. "I'll prove it to all of you people then you'll see. But what should we bet for?"  
  
Max began walking to the stables. "You girls behave all right? I want you coming inside in half an hour to feed and groom your horses, all right?"  
  
"Yes Max!" all the girls replied.  
  
"What should we bet for?" I questioned.  
  
"Yes, what should we bet for?" Veronica asked.  
  
"Yes, what should we bet for?" Stevie thought out loud.  
  
"Are you guys echoes are something? Veronica laughed. "You guys seem to repeat everything I say. So just answer the question – what will we bet for?"  
  
"Um, how about if you don't jump the fence," Aimee said, "You have to groom all of our horses for a week?"  
  
"Not a wise idea, Aimee," Lisa told her. "She's a horrible groomer."  
  
"All right, then," Aimee answered. "How about, if you don't jump the fence, you have to clean all of our horses for a month?"  
  
"Fine," Veronica agreed.  
  
"Is that wise?" Aimee whispered. Lisa, Stevie, and I nodded.  
  
"And if I do jump the fence?" Veronica asked.  
  
"Then…" I said. "You can…have all of our pocket money?"  
  
"Knowing you guys you'll probably have 10 cents all together!" Veronica laughed. "No…I want something that you deeply care for. That you'd never imagine you'd let go of. Something that's going to be with you forever unless I jump the fence."  
  
"Can I interrupt for a moment?" Aimee asked.  
  
"What is it?" Veronica moaned.  
  
"To make sure it's clear," Aimee began, "You do not only just have to jump over the fence or wall, you have to land it. 4 feet from the horse, and you still on the horse, not leaning on it's side, not moaning or groaning, all right?"  
  
"Fine, whatever," Veronica said. "So…what is going to be bargained for this challenge?"  
  
"My mom's necklace," I cut in.  
  
"What?" Stevie asked.  
  
"Carole, you can't…" Lisa began.  
  
"I'm sure that's something dear to you…" Aimee said.  
  
"No…" I whispered to them. "She probably won't make the jump and if she does, I'll be giving her a copy. My dad even knows that the real one is at home, and my dad is going to give it to me for my high school graduation. So…everything is okay."  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Are you done?" Veronica groaned.  
  
"Yes…if you make the jump, landing on all 4 feet of the horse and everything else that Aimee said…I'll give you my mom's necklace…something very dear to me."  
  
Veronica grinned so mischievously she looked like a horrible crook. "Okay, then. Let's get this thing over with then, shall we?" She galloped on Cobalt to only 30 metres away from the wall/fence. "All right Cobalt. This is it," she whispered to him. "Either we make Carole so upset…or we make ourselves upset. Let's make it the first one, shall we?" She looked confident enough, except for that little lump in her through. "Hiya!" Cobalt started running quickly. She raised the reins he put his front two legs up and jumped over, then, when it came to landing it slipped and fell – right on top of Veronica!  
  
"Veronica!" we all cried. We ran to the site of the accident. "Stevie," I asked. "Go get Max and Mrs. Reg. We have to see if anyone or anything is injured." Stevie smiled and nodded. "Roger that!"  
  
"Will she be okay?" Aimee asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah – she has things like these at least once a week," Lisa joked.  
  
"I do not," came a muffled voice.  
  
"Veronica!" Aimee ran to Cobalt and attempted to lift him. "He's…too…heavy. I need some help." Lisa and I ran to Aimee's side. It still wasn't enough. "Help!"  
  
Max and Mrs. Reg came running out of the stables, Stevie running right behind them. "What's happened?" Mrs. Reg asked.  
  
"Cobalt slipped on something and fell," Aimee explained. "We don't know what, though."  
  
"Well, let's just focus on getting Cobalt off of Veronica first, okay?" Max asked. "Then we'll get to all the explaining and determine what's going on."  
  
Mrs. Reg ran beside me and Max went to the other side. Stevie ran there too. "I need one more person on this side," Max said. Aimee got up and ran to the other side of Cobalt.  
  
"All right – at the count of 3, we attempt to lift Cobalt up, all right?" Max instructed. "1…2…3! Heave!" Everyone lifted Cobalt up, pushing with all their might. Finally, Cobalt decided to help and he lifted himself up, standing weakly.  
  
"Veronica," Mrs. Reg asked. "Are you all right?"  
  
Veronica opened her eyes to see Max, Aimee, Stevie, Mrs. Reg, me, and Lisa on all sides of her. She groaned. "Uh…I'm fine. Just a few bruises, that's all."  
  
"Veronica, you have to be careful, all right?" Max told her. "I wonder what Cobalt slipped on, though."  
  
Veronica got up with the help of Mrs. Reg, and Max began looking around. "Hmm…" he'd say. "What the…"  
  
"What is it?" Veronica asked. "What made Cobalt slip?"  
  
Max bent down, picked up something and showed Veronica. It was a banana peel.  
  
"I think you were eating this, Veronica?"  
  
"What? I never…I thought I put mine in the garbage!" Veronica denied.  
  
"You didn't," I said. "You threw it on the side."  
  
"How come Carole didn't slip on it?" Veronica asked.  
  
"Since I saw something and I made Starlight jump over it," I told her. "Stevie and Lisa slipped on that too with Prancer and Belle."  
  
"Veronica, you should be more careful," Max scolded.  
  
Veronica got down on her knees. "Please let me go to Windy Willows Max, please. I won't do anything like this again. Please," she began to cry. "Please! I need to go to Windy Willows, I'll be good for a long way to come."  
  
"Veronica!" Max looked at her. "I didn't say you couldn't come to Windy Willows. I said that you should be more careful," Max smiled. "But I'm glad that you told me you'd be good. Now, I think you owe Stevie and Lisa an apology."  
  
"Um…" Veronica thought. "Lisa and Stevie, I'm very sorry that I was not being careful and that I carelessly threw the banana peel right near the wall, making you slip."  
  
"You're forgiven," Lisa and Stevie replied.  
  
"Good," Max said. "Now, chop-chop! It's time to feed the horses, feed ourselves and go to bed! Let's go!"  
  
*****************************  
  
Hi! I realised that I haven't had an Author's Note in a while, so I decided to have one. Sorry that's it taken so long for me to update – homework, making websites, writing other stories, the usual. But I'll try to update sooner, don't worry! Please review! Thanks! 


	5. Chapter 5 ~ The Trip

# 5 * The Trip  
  
Aimee, Lisa, Stevie, and I ran to the stables with our horses by our side. Aimee helped me feed Starlight some oats and grass.  
  
"I can't wait 'til I get my own horse," Aimee said. "I just hope I have one by tomorrow. I can't be in the Great Event without a horse. That's just stupid." She frowned. "But what if I don't get one?"  
  
"Don't worry Aimee," I comforted. "Everything will sort its way out. I'm sure of it!"  
  
"Thanks, Carole." Aimee thanked. "You guys really know how to cheer a gal up!"  
  
"Cheer a gallop?" Stevie joked. "I don't think we can cheer a gallop, we can just improve it!"  
  
Everyone began to laugh. Max entered the stables. "Aimee, I've got to talk to you. So does your father."  
  
"My father's here again?" Aimee asked.  
  
"Yes," Max answered. "We've got something important to talk to you about."  
  
Aimee's eyes widened. "He probably wants to take me out of Pine Hollow. Probably thinks I'll get hurt. He's also so over-protective."  
  
"Don't worry about it Aimee," Lisa said. "You can't be taken out of Pine Hollow on your first day!"  
  
Stevie said, "Yeah, everything is okay. You're not gonna be taken out of Pine Hollow, especially before the first day of going to Windy Willows!"  
  
"Okay," Aimee stood up. "I'll go."  
  
Stevie, Lisa, and I stood in the stables for a long time. Of course we fed and groomed our horses, but we were very worried about Aimee. What if she did get taken out of Pine Hollow? What if her father found a better place? Since, of course there was much better places than Pine Hollow, but this was a perfect place for beginners, amateurs, and experts. I hoped everything would work out. After half-an-hour, Max came back in. "You girls can go to the dining hall. Aimee is still taking a while. She'll be there shortly."  
  
Stevie gulped. "What if this is her last meal here in Pine Hollow?" Stevie thought. "She never got a chance to know about the Saddle Club." Lisa moaned. "We'll never know her as a best friend," I pondered.  
  
"Let's go," Stevie said, trying to hide the huge lump of worry in her throat. I was pretty sure that I had one too. Lisa was showing her sorrows by sighing and frowning. We all walked towards the dining hall and sat on a bench. Phil sat down beside Stevie.  
  
"Why are all you girls so upset?" Phil asked. Phil was also rich and had a house nearby. He practically owned Pine Hollow, though he didn't like to show it.  
  
"We just made a friend named Aimee, and now we think her father is taking her away," Stevie explained.  
  
"Oh no, that's terrible!" Phil said, sounding deeply concerned. Stevie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Like you care about anyone but yourself," Stevie said, shoving a pancake in her mouth.  
  
"Of course I do!" Phil replied. "I care about my horse, about Pine Hollow, about my parents, about that new girl, and most of all, you Stevie."  
  
Stevie rolled her eyes again. "Whatever."  
  
"Does whatever mean yes?" Phil asked.  
  
"Whatever," Stevie replied. Lisa and I laughed.  
  
Suddenly, Aimee came running into the dining hall. She sat down beside Lisa. "I've got some news. I'll tell you in the stables after our meal, all right?"  
  
To me, Aimee sounded sad. But if it was news, then The Saddle Club had to hear about it. "Okay – we're here for you Aimee," I told her, smiling politely.  
  
Right after everyone was pretty much finished their meal of pancakes with maple syrup and hot chocolate, Max stood up from his seat. "Everyone, I've got an announcement to make. Today, we've had the arrival of a wonderful girl named Aimee. I'm hoping everyone will make her welcome, and I expect everyone to treat her with kindness and respect." Veronica rolled her eyes as Kristi giggled. "And that means you as well, Veronica." The whole hall erupted with laughter. Veronica growled. "So, everyone have a good night sleep and tomorrow morning pack up some stuff for your horses, all right? Good night everyone."  
  
"Good night Max and Mrs. Reg," the students said.  
  
All of the students got up and ran to their dormitories except for Stevie, Lisa, Aimee, and I. We ran towards the stables.  
  
"What have you got to tell us?" Stevie asked.  
  
"What's so important?" Lisa urged.  
  
"Come on – tell us!" I begged.  
  
"Hold on!" Aimee told us. "Here we go…"  
  
In an empty stable stood an enormous elegant horse. It was a chestnut colour and it had a white moon on its forehead.  
  
"That is a beautiful birthmark!" I exclaimed.  
  
"My dad bought that for me…he's so kind…" Aimee cried tears of joy. "I've decided to name her Moonlight. She's about 5 years old and she's already used to me." She opened the door and went in and began to pet Moonlight. It neighed cheerfully and the rest of us ran towards it and groomed it happily.  
  
"That's wonderful Aimee," Stevie said. "It's great that you got a horse, and right before our trip to the competition as well."  
  
"Congratulations Aimee!" Lisa told her.  
  
"I hope you enjoy your new horse," I said.  
  
"Thanks…Max thinks that I'll be a great rider with Moonlight," Aimee said. "I hope I will."  
  
"You'll definitely be one!" we all cried.  
  
"Thanks again…now let's go to bed!" Aimee told us while yawning. "It's really late and we've got an early start tomorrow."  
  
"You're right," Lisa agreed. "Let's go!"  
  
We headed towards the beds, yawning occasionally. Along the way however, we bumped into Veronica.  
  
"Hello, girls," she greeted in her most snottiest voice. I felt rage already burning through my body. "I see that you've gotten a new horse, Aimee," she continued, smiling meanly. "I hope you'll be able to ride that. Don't fall off your horse! It's a shame you don't have a parachute to catch you in case you fall off!"  
  
"Don't make fun of her, she's new-" Lisa began, but I interrupted.  
  
"Shame that you don't have another attitude so that you'll actually have some real friends," I said, making her turn a light shade of crimson.  
  
"What? You-you…Humph!" She turned on her heel and stalked off, pushing a boy out of the way as she did so. It was Phil Marsten, Stevie's adorer. His blonde hair flew swiftly as he walked, astonished that Veronica had pushed them, and smiled, although I knew, and we all knew, that it was directly at Stevie.  
  
"Who's that?" Aimee asked curiously.  
  
"Phil Marsten," Lisa explained. "He owns a lot of the horses here. Practically owns this whole entire place!"  
  
"He's in love with Stevie," I whispered, as Phil approached closer. "And I think she likes him too," I added, making Stevie turn bright red.  
  
"I DO NOT!" she bellowed.  
  
"You do not what?" Phil asked.  
  
"I don't…I don't…" Stevie started, apparently lost for words.  
  
"She doesn't have a clue where her saddle is," I lied. Lisa snickered; I was really bad at coming up with excuses.  
  
"Then why did she bellow 'I do not'?" Phil asked suspiciously.  
  
"Um, because I'm in a really bad mood," she told him.  
  
"Oh…so is Veronica," Phil said. "Did you see the way she pushed me? And all this time I thought she liked me!"  
  
We all laughed; Aimee joined in to, and for the first time I really thought she had what it took to be a Saddle Club member.  
  
I only hoped it would last.  
  
We went to bed, our heads filled with thoughts of winning, but as my head rested on the pillow, I couldn't help wondering – what if Aimee didn't have what it took? She obviously was a good rider, but while we brushed our teeth, she told us all that she had never been in a real competition or event before. What if she didn't do so well because of being nervous? What if she didn't win anything?  
  
But all thoughts were soon out of my head as I fell into a deep sleep.  
  
*********************************  
  
This will continue, don't worry! Just felt like updating this and saying thanks to all those who have reviewed! Here are individual thanks:  
  
Horse Lover – I love horses too! I have been very unfortunate as to never ride one, although I have see one close-up, fed him, groomed him, all that jazz. I know Book #1's only the beginning, I also have other stories as well, although not all Saddle Club or about horses. I'm glad you liked my story, and I hope I don't get too many e-mails with demands, although it would be nice because then it would mean that people really like my story. But thanks anyway!  
  
Joy 1983 – I'm glad you like the story. I know – there aren't any other Saddle Club fanfics at all! And I love that TV show and the books! It must start! So I think you should start one too! Put a review and tell me you did if you ever decide to write one!  
  
Spirit – I'm glad you like it so far. I'm trying to continue and update as soon as I can! Thanks! 


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